Secondary Ticketing

Q1 2008feature38continued from page 37Donald MacLeod – CPLThree years ago I was approached by Channel 4asking me if I would like to be a judge for abattle of the bands competition to be held at TheGarage in London. They informed me that EmmaBanks thought that I would be perfect as a judge,given that I am known by many in the industry formy outspoken and rambunctious views. They alsowent on to say that I would be paid for myservices, that my flight, accommodation andliberal amounts of Jack Daniels would all becovered and that I would be on the telly. It was ano brainer and I duly turned up for the show.The four performances were in some casesabysmal and in others ridiculous but it was only atthe end that we were informed that it was not acontest as such but a recording for the show FakingIt and that one of the acts featured was not infact a real band, but put together for the show.Only then did Emma come out and tell me thatshe had set the whole thing up and had beenpissing herself laughing whilst watching us allfrom the control room. It was a great night, I had aball and I’ll always be indebted to Emma for givingme the chance, unknowingly, to make my TV debut.And it also goes to prove that regardless ofall the hard work and sacrifices she has made tobe recognised as Woman of the Year, she also hasa wicked sense of humour into the bargain. Thismakes her great in my books.Well done Emma.Matt Willis– CEC ManagementEmma is a one-off in this industry, of course itgoes without saying that she rocks like a bastard,but she also brings a rare grace to the agent'srole, so it's no surprise that CAA in London are avery elegant bunch. I'm proud to know her,Woman of the Year indeed.your immediate relatives and then you go tothe ILMC or people get in touch with you andyou grow your database.”Her current roster spans a wide variety ofstyles from hard-edged acts such as MarilynManson, System of a Down, And You Will KnowUs By The Trail of Dead and Nine Inch Nails,to less aggressive names which range fromRed Hot Chili Peppers and Kraftwerk to ThePretenders, Norah Jones and Crowded House.“It takes a long time to learn [thebusiness],” she says. “Being a good agentisn’t just putting gigs in a row or getting themost money, and you need at least five yearsexperience, but you’re always learning. Ialways thought I could do everything and Ithat I was much better than I was. I look backat some of the tours I did now and wonderhow they ever got off my desk – they werebloody awful.“Bands are getting me at a better timenow as I’ve bought a map since then.”BANKS’ TRANSFERBanks’ original CV, which Ian Flooks read andso many record labels passed over, is theonly one she’s ever had to write, and untilOctober 2006, she remained at the variousincarnations of Flooks’ original firm.American agency ICM (International CreativeManagement) bought Wasted Talent in 1994,merging it with John Jackson’s Fair Warningagency to become the snappily titled FairWarning Wasted Talent, and when Flooksquit the agency business in 1998, it wasrenamed Helter Skelter, with Banks becomingmanaging director around 2002.But in October 2006, as the financialtrouble faced by parent company Sanctuarybegan to affect Helter Skelter, both Banks...with Chad from Red Hot Chili Peppersand Greek – their contracts having expired –accepted an offer to set up CAA’s newLondon office. After a 16-year tenure withthe same company – albeit with variousowners and monikers – it was perhapsunsurprising that their departure set a fairfew tongues wagging.“At the time it happened, the wholeSanctuary thing was very peculiar and therewere certain issues,” she says. “Sometimesyou want to feel appreciated for the thingsyou do and the good you do. Anyone thatwas there, had they had the opportunity togo, would have gone.”But Banks is also adamant that CAA’sinternational interests in film, sports andtelevision were the real clincher. “I’m a busyUK agent, and I want to look after my clientsproperly and give them the attention theydeserve so I can’t just take off a monthScumeck Sabottka– MCT KonzertagenturI’ve been working with Emma since she began atWasted Talent. Emma quickly became one of the‘new breed’ – a number of younger UK agentswho were hungry for new talent and did businessin ways that weren’t too popular within the olderagent community: with fairness, an ability to listenand learn, and with correctness and creativity!As a promoter, I know that Emma never turnsa blind eye to our situation, even though her mainfocus is to represent the interest of her artists.She doesn’t push deals for commission and hasnever taken her role for granted, such as when webook festivals and are under pressure to close thebill. Working with Emma is a pure pleasure.continued on page 40Red Hot Chili Peppers